"Barry Castleman recently documented the story of Dr. Alice Hamilton's encounter in the 1940s and 1950s with the FBI as she fought for social justice and her pioneering work in occupational safety and health. Her encounter with the FBI may give many of us working to protect the public's health an uncomfortable feeling. Political intimidation by government political appointees, however, did not end 80 years ago. Within federal agencies, there is a continuous battle between political appointees and career civil servants over the scientific justification for the promulgation and enforcement of health and safety standards. Most of these struggles are rarely recognized outside the agencies. However, they have a negative impact on public health as well as morale within agencies. Corporations and business lobbies have used every political means to delay, weaken, and block the issuance of health standards since worker, consumer, and environmental protection agencies were created in the early 1970s. ..."

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